


linger like a tattoo kiss

by lemonbreeze



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Anal Fingering, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Smut, Getting Together, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Threesome - M/M/M, hairdresser! renjun, past nohyuck, tattoo artist! Jaemin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:27:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25751332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonbreeze/pseuds/lemonbreeze
Summary: Jeno meets an eccentric tattoo artist and a passionate hairdresser on two occasions.Maybe it's how both of them seem to be perfect boyfriends that mended his heart rather than their dyes and ink.Alternatively: Lee Jeno dyes his hair red to prove his ex wrong.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 11
Kudos: 246





	linger like a tattoo kiss

The storefront looked exactly like the photo online. The oak door with tiny grid windows at the top half allowed him to look inside. The vibrant lights had a smidge of yellow tint that was welcoming but not blinding. The summer heat had been swallowed by the overcast skies. When Jeno collapsed his umbrella, shaking away the water droplets, it created dark spots on the grey concrete.

A whiff of chemicals hit his nose as soon as he opened the door, he wrinkled his nose. Above the door, a bell jingled, indicating his arrival.

“Welcome to Huang’s Salon! Can I check if you made an appointment?” 

“Yes, I booked under Lee Jeno.”

The lady mending the cashier was busy typing on the keyboard. She had a pixie cut and brown hair with neon green highlights. Jeno had an inkling that her nails would be painted black if her work didn’t involve so much of her hands. She smashed the enter button loudly when she was done. 

“Renjun! Mr. Lee here wants a dye job.”

The tiny boy that greeted Jeno has pastel claw clips decorating his pastel pink hair. His work apron was fitted on top of a black crew neck tucked into navy-blue jeans. 

Renjun ushered Jeno onto the black cushion seat and swiftly handled the preparations. He tucked a small towel into the neck of Jeno’s cardigan and shirt before laying the hairdresser cape on him and velcroing it around his neck. It was slightly itchy but not too tight because the hairdresser had placed a finger against his neck before fastening it.

Through the mirror, the firm line of Renjun’s lips stretched to form a small smile. 

“Okay, Mr. Lee-”

“Ah.. You can just call me Jeno.”

A tint of pink, much like his hair, dusted onto Renjun’s cheeks. “R-Right, Jeno. Sorry, as I was saying, what colour would you like to go for today?”

“Red… I mean the primary colour.”

Renjun’s eyes widened slightly and the lights flickered around in his dark brown orbs for a millisecond before they returned to a neutral state.

“Are you really sure you want to go red?” He ran his fingers through Jeno virgin hair – unprocessed; dark as raven. Jeno nodded. 

Renjun was stroking his chin in deep thought. “I’ll let you know first that red fades really quickly so you would have to come back for touch ups.”

“That’s okay. I just really wanted a noticeable change.”

Renjun stroked the tiny hairs on Jeno’s neck, “Such a waste of your smooth hair. I’ll do it for you though, our store uses Keratin binding products so it wouldn’t damage your hair too much.”

Renjun made Jeno take off his glasses, so he left the book he brought in his bag. His gentle hands made quick work of applying the bleach in layers which carried with it a tinge of pungent ammonia.

“Does it sting?”

“It’s a little itchy I suppose.”

Renjun did not converse much when working other than occasional grunts and hums. It was so peaceful that he dozed off. He was floating in the dark. He could feel his head drooping heavily, swinging like a pendulum but he had no control over it. Middle-aged ladies were gossiping in the background. 

Jeno woke up with a tap on his shoulder and Renjun’s voice, which was low and husky. It was as if he wasn’t used to being so soft. 

“Hey, I’m going out to grab lunch and- Do you want anything? I mean you probably don’t want to go out looking like that.”

On cue, Jeno leaned towards the mirror to see his hair sectioned into layers with _wax paper?_ He looked nothing short of a mess. Most of the pigments in his black hair had been stripped off to leave a pale brown. 

When Renjun returned, they had lunch together in the back room. Renjun was chirper than he was that morning as he inhaled his stir-fry noodles.

Over their meal, Jeno learned that Renjun’s mother ran the salon. He had been shadowing her since he was a teen, choosing to work in his mother’s shop over playing with his friends. Back then, he could only help with washing and blow drying hair. At some point, he decided that he wanted to take over his mother’s shop so he had taken formal courses for his license. 

“Jeno? I think I’ve seen you outside the choir room a few times?”

The reminder sent crashing waves of sadness. It had been easier but it still hurt. 

“Yeah.” His voice was strained.

The mood turned sour, Renjun's face shifted because of discomfort. His eyes were darting around everywhere except on Jeno. The latter did the poor boy a favour and went back to his seat quietly after disposing his empty container. 

Over the next hour, Jeno squinted at his book in hopes to escape via ink on paper – he had always found comfort in books. It helped. 

A middle aged lady with brown curly hair tended to his dye job instead of Renjun. Her skin was freckled with sunspots and wrinkles around her eyes. She somehow looked youthful even with the signs of age – her skin glowed from within. She carried herself with elegance but her smiles were vibrant and kind.

She had brought him to reclining seats so that she could wash off the bleach first. She tested the temperature of the water before aiming the water pressure onto his scalp. It brought relief to the itch that he could not scratch due to the chemicals.

“Renjun is good at bleaching isn’t he,” she said as she was rubbing shampoo into his scalp. Jeno relaxed under her ministrations and hummed in acknowledgement.

The sun was setting when he got red hair. He almost cried when Renjun showed him the bill – he had an estimate but after adding in a few hair care products the bill expanded. It was worth the cost. The colour payoff was excellent – a firetruck red – as when he ran his fingers through his hair, they were still soft.

“Remember to use a conditioner and always dry your hair before you sleep. Trust me, you don’t want a pillow full of blood red,” Renjun said as he punched the receipt together.

“We recommend coming back around 6 weeks later to touch up on your roots. You can call in to book later but please do it at least one week in advance.” Renjun handed the bag of products over to Jeno.

Jeno was already at the road junction when he saw Renjun running up to him, waving the umbrella he had forgotten. It took Renjun half a minute of panting before he spoke again. The traffic light had started blinking green but Jeno waited for him.

“I just wanted to apologise for just now.” Renjun bangs covered his eyes with how much he was bent over.

“It’s not your fault Renjun. It’s a sensitive topic but I kinda dyed my hair to get over it… I should be feeling much better.” But he wasn’t.

Only then, did Renjun look at him again – tiny orange stars dancing in his eyes. His pale skin was painted with the warmth of the sun and his pastel pink hair shimmered as he moved closer. He extended his right hand. “Let’s shake it off.”

Jeno accepted the handshake after shoving the umbrella alongside his bag of purchases. When he pulled away, Renjun grabbed his wrist and stared at his right arm at his freshly healed blue tattoo.

“You got a tattoo from Nana?!” 

The middle-aged lady beside them was glaring daggers at Renjun, so he slapped his hand over his mouth dramatically. 

Jeno was intrigued so he tried to push for more information. “You know J- Nana?”

“Everyone who wanted a tattoo has heard of Nana. But his tattoos are super expensive and his openings on SNS get taken up so quickly. Despite his popularity, most of his client’s lips are shut about him.”

Jeno wanted to keep his lips sealed too, but nothing could stop him. Not with the next few words that left Renjun’s pretty mouth.

“Apparently he’s a dougy guy, sleeps around his clients a lot too, which is a bit unprofessional in my opinion.” 

“Nana is not like that!” It surprised him how defensive he sounded. He had only met the dude once. Even if Jaemin exuded chaotic leo energy, Jeno believed that he was a good person.

“Oh, then how is he like?” There was mirth dancing in Renjun eyes when he smirked.

❀

Jeno remembered exactly how he got the tattoo. 

His first impression of Jaemin? Not so much.

Scrap that. Jeno remembered Jaemin’s electric blue hair that stood out in the dimly lit bar. His devious and flirtatioussmile and his huge googly alien eyes. His chapped lips.

It was a bad day and he as at the bar, all alone. Jaemin sat beside him and ordered two whiskeys. After he downed his drink, he stared at Jeno, the wide smile etched on his face, before pushing the untouched drink towards him. 

“For you,” Jaemin said.

Jeno accepted the drink silently after bowing.

Jaemin seemed to sense that he was not in the mood to talk and made up for his portion. (He later learned that oversharing was Jaemin’s personality trait.) Jaemin was an Economics major. It was made known when Jeno was forced to sit through talks about obscure formulas and Prisoner’s dilemma. It bored Jeno, but all the talking helped him drown a few thoughts. Not that he had anywhere better to be. 

When Jaemin got tired of talking, they sipped on their drinks and listened to the unified chatter – too many different conversations mushed together. Jeno didn’t have the bandwidth to pick them apart. 

It was nice having the comfort of another person. Jeno didn’t want to go back to his empty apartment, one that used to have traces of _Donghyuck_ – his toothbrush sitting by his basin, his clothes from sleepover nights and even the photo of them on Jeno’s table was gone. 

So when Jaemin asked if he wanted to go home with him, he agreed.

It was easy to reciprocate if it was purely physical – kissing in Jaemin’s doorway until he couldn’t breathe, letting Jaemin manhandle him onto his mattress. 

Jaemin was pretty clothed but even prettier naked. His body was hard and sturdy, the muscles flexing under Jeno’s palms. Jaemin was mesmerizing, especially with his electric blue hair shining under his night light – a cute bunny mood lamp. He was dazzling in his element – his chapped lips around Jeno’s cock. The glide was slow because Jaemin was a tease. His lashes were fanned out as he worked Jeno up in tandem, alternating between bobbing his head enthusiastically and merely sucking Jeno like he was a piece of candy. His hand wrapped around where his mouth couldn’t reach. 

It was an interdimensional experience. Jeno’s brain felt heavy but his body was soaring, all of his cells stimulated. His hands digged into Jaemin's locks and he swore he felt some of them crumbling in his grip. He _almost_ forgot his name, focused on screaming Jaemin instead.

The key word is _almost_.

Jaemin did not finish him off immediately. Instead, he took his hands off. Jeno moaned at the loss of touch.

It sounded broken even to himself.

When Jaemin returned, he littered kisses on Jeno’s thigh, nibbling the skin softly. He whispered praises on his flesh, calling Jeno a good boy. It made him feel safe and Jeno’s brain fizzled into a fluffy state.

Jaemin asked before he pressed a warm lubed finger into Jeno. The burn was like a whiplash – one moment he was relaxed and the next, all his muscles bunched up. He was tense and it only made it worse when Jaemin tried to ease his finger out. 

It wasn’t because of the pain. Usually he loved the sting, be it with his fingers, his humble collection of toys or Donghyuck railing into him.

Donghyuck was gone, but guilt still chipped at his conscience. 

Jeno let out a frustrated, dry sob. The tears wouldn’t come – they have dried up from how much he cried alone in his apartment all the way to the bar. He had only calmed down a few drinks in.

Jaemin’s caring and worried frown made the pain harder to stomach. He was so sickening _sweet_ when he whispered equally tender words of encouragement. It felt like a joke receiving more love from a stranger than his lover, until he remembered that said lover was his ex now. 

A warm fuzzy blanket was wrapped around his shoulder until he became trapped in a blanket burrito.

“First time?”

Jeno shook his head. 

It was a moment of vulnerability, but he had a strong gut feeling he could trust Jaemin. _Well, if he was wrong, he couldn’t be any more broken._

“Got dumped today,” Jeno confessed.

“Oh _darling_ ,” Jaemin shuffled until their sides were flushed together. He could feel the warmth of Jaemin even with the blanket between them. “Can I help you with anything? I should get you some water. You must be dehydrated from all the drinks,” he was already standing up but Jeno grabbed his wrist.

“It’s okay. I should be leaving.” 

Jaemin smacked Jeno’s head before patting it softly. “Don’t be silly. You are drunk and sad, there's no way I’m going to kick you out.” Jeno couldn’t find the strength to stand up anyway.

Jeno remembered drinking a cup of water before being tucked into bed, the warm blankets and darkness embracing him as Jaemin climbed over him to switch off the light. If he snuggled a little too close to Jaemin, it was the alcohol.

❀

It should be awkward sleeping naked to a stranger he blue balled but there was none of that in Jaemin’s peaceful sleeping face. His lashes were long and thin, their black diluted to work with his blue hair. He slept on his left side, his left arm squished against the mattress – sure to leave red pillow marks later.

The gentle rays spilling into the loft made it easier for Jeno to admire Jaemin’s inked skin, his arms marked with tattoos of clashing personalities. 

It should be strange but Jaemin made it work with his quirky features. There was an intricate bundle of peonies on his right bicep inked with black and shaded with red. Right next to it was a cartoon bear inked with a thicker black line – it held a knife and was waving with the other. On his forearm lay a blue snake, close to ultramarine, it’s body coiled into wavy lines. 

Jeno could have laid there and admired Jaemin’s tattoo all morning but then he would have wanted to trace his fingers over them. Things would _definitely_ get out of hand. 

Jeno quickly gathered his clothes strewn over the dark wood flooring and clambered down the plastic panel stairs. There was a light pressure against his bladder and he scrambled to the toilet located beside a black book shelf.

Jaemin’s bathroom was the only room with white marble flooring and walls, lighted up by a hanging lamp. There was a sink with a mirror on top. Right beside, there was the toilet next to the shower area, separated by a pink shower curtain.

When Jeno left the bathroom, fully clothed, his eyes raked over Jaemin’s shelf. It was cluttered with Economics textbooks too specific and technical for Jeno. Some of the books were laid horizontal. Jeno was taken aback by the small literature collection the other had collected. Before he knew it, he was already running his fingers across the spine of a familiar book, one that he had studied as a wide-eyed freshman. The pages were yellow with age and folded at the top, tiny dog ears as bookmarks. 

Jeno ought to leave. He didn’t need all these small details that made the stranger less foreign and more endearing instead. 

That was the last thing on his mind when he discovered Jaemin’s hidden room behind the shelf. Honestly, Jeno was too curious for this own good. 

Natural light streaming in between the door frame and the shelf was enough to inform Jeno of the purpose of the room. It was laid out on the walls, what must be different tattoo designs if the shiny leather of the reclining black chair hadn’t made it obvious. His tools were laid out neatly on the black desk.

The fluorescent light flickered on with a click sound. Jeno found Jaemin leaning against the doorframe, dressed in only his obnoxiously red boxers.

“So you’ve found my work room.” Jaemin winds an arm around Jeno's waist, squeezing it lightly before breathing into the shell of his ear. “Are you going to report me?”

Goosebumps ran all over his skin but he resisted the urge to shrink away. They were around the same height but Jeno knew he had a few pounds on Jaemin. 

Jeno shook his head. “Of course not, you have been so kind.”

“Not so much of a goody two shoes huh,” Jaemin mused, his eyes sparkling with newfound interest. “If that’s the case, do you want a tat? Getting a tattoo when I’m sad always helps.” His touch on Jeno’s waist was barely there. “I’m good at it and if you want, I’ll even do it for free because you’re such a handsome little thing.” 

Jeno was flustered at Jaemin’s flirting but he did not stutter. “Is that how you ended up with a tattoo sleeve?”

Jaemin cackled, as if what Jeno said was very funny. “Yeah, I guess. Some of them are from friends though. We tattoo on each other for practice sometimes.”

“By the way, this one’s my baby.” Jaemin pointed at his upper thigh and Jeno was forced to stare at his lap. It was remarkably different from the ones he had on his upper body which were mostly bigger pieces that looked more intimidating. 

The tattoo was a pair of bunnies with a heart shaped cloud in between them. The artwork had a clean line with no shading, the bunnies in cyan blue and the cloud in hot pink.

The fondness in Jeno’s heart doubled in size. For a lack of better expression, it was so _Jaemin_ – colourful, deviant yet adorable.

“Cute,” Jeno uttered.

“May I interest you with some of my new designs?”

Two plastic folders were dropped onto Jeno’s lap and he got through most of them quickly, the plastic crinkling loudly. 

Most of the designs were ironically cute and you could only understand them if you had a cryptic sense of humour.

His flipping ceased abruptly when he saw a flash of blue – Persian blue to be exact. It took up little space, a round piece of paper resting at the corner of the A4 folder.

The curly waves of the sun rays circled around the round sun, whose expression could be regarded as one of pleasure or of melancholy. 

It should have made him feel as blue as the design itself because it reminded him of the sun he lost, the sun that abandoned. Under the blue, he had seen it under a new light. Perhaps for a moment, he was seeing Maggie Nelson’s perspective – how enchanting yet cold could be. 

Against a better decision, just to spite his ex, he asked Jaemin for the tatoo.

Perhaps how Jaemin hummed as he hooked up the tattoo guns to the square box for power supply, how he slipped on his blue gloves dramatically – snapping the rubber against his wrist – and how he cooed at Jeno while puncturing his skin with blue ink cheered him up.

❀

There is no way to sugar coat this:

It was the third time Jeno had jacked off to the thought of Jaemin’s hand in skin-tight gloves and him fucking Jeno on the black leather arm chair right after giving him a tattoo. It _would have_ happened if not for how miserable Jeno had been that day.

It was a _dumb_ crush. Anyone who could look at Na Jaemin and feel nothing must be a fool, or asexual. Jaemin was chemical and Jeno was dealing with the aftermath of the explosions after their encounter.

There was a fundamental issue. 

Even if he had the guts to make a move, he did not know how to find the blue-haired male. He should have been more observant when Jaemin drove him home, but he dozed off. He should have asked for Jaemin’s number, but it didn’t cross his mind in his post-nap haze.

It was a blessing how normal cross-faculty interactions were in University. If not for this, Jeno would be embarrassed. He had been taking the detour route past the Economics building for the past two weeks in hopes for a glimpse of his blue hair or his tattoo sleeve. 

It was a shame that Jeno only had enough luck to get by, not enough to ‘chance upon’ a handsome stranger. He didn’t even know what to say if he met him. Maybe grab onto his belt loops and hope that Jaemin would read his underlying message.

❀

Jeno worked up the courage to confide in Mark during one of their Netflix Fridays.

There was a look of horror on his best friend’s face, but it wasn’t directed at the hissing Demogorgon on his television.

“Hold up, bro. You are saying that you followed a stranger home and he turned out to have an illegal tattoo den? And you let him tattoo on you? You should've come over to my place!”

“I wasn’t thinking straight that day and I know your Saturdays are reserved for Taeyong.”

Mark gave Jeno a side hug. Mark’s ribs pressed against his shoulder uncomfortably. They weren’t big on physical affection, but he felt Mark’s sincerity through the awkward hug.

“You know that I could ditch my baby for one night for my bro. Anyways, it probably wasn’t meant to be. Maybe you just need someone after your breakup and this Jaemin guy was at the right time and place.”

Jeno wanted to retort that if he was there at the right time and place, then it should have meant something. 

However, Jeno zipped his mouth because he could not deny that he was needy. It wasn’t a new thing, but it was only revealed to selective people. Well, Donghyuck was as needy as him, if not even more. Their companionship worked when the spark was there but Donghyuck needed someone that could match his shine. That was impossible when Donghyuck was like the sun.

Mark did not catch his dilemma and pressed play instead. The grotesque meaty flesh and jagged teeth of the Demogorgon split open to form the shape of a flower. 

❀

A month down the road, Jeno popped by Huang’s salon again.

The first thing Jeno saw was Renjun jerking his head up behind the cashier counter – his lilac hair peeking out. Upon closer inspection, Renjun was hunched over a book which was highlighted with a multitude of colours. Neat lines of sticky tabs were sticking out of the edges. His penmanship was neat, and the characters were elongated. 

“Welcome to Huang’s salon,” Renjun greeted before typing on the keyboard with one hand, the other still pressed on his book. The other hand lifted to navigate the mouse and the colourful pages collapsed to reveal the title.

“You’re taking History of Korean language too?”

“Hmm? Yeah,” Renjun glimpsed at Jeno for a moment before returning to his work.

“How come I have never seen you in lectures?”

Renjun scratched the tip of his nose shyly. “I only go for tutorials because of,” he gestured vaguely at the store.

“Really? I’m in class 5! What about you?”

“Class 4.”

Renjun stood up behind the counter and brought Jeno to a seat. It didn’t matter which seat he took because the store was empty on a weekday morning anyways.

Renjun was dressed in a black button up today, with the one button undone. He grumbled softly as he struggled to tie his work apron at the back. It might be imposing, but Jeno helped him with it, securing the dark denim into a butterfly knot.

“Thanks, Jeno,” Renjun said as he patted his cheeks, “Mom usually helps me but she’s out for an appointment today.”

Jeno smiled at him – the world barely visible behind his crescent-shaped eyes. “She must trust you a lot to let you open alone.”

Renjun slapped the air as if chasing a mosquito in denial. He clapped his hands together to indicate the end of the conversation.

“Okay, so red right?”

“Actually, I was thinking of going for brown maybe? Red’s too flashy after all. What would you recommend?”

Renjun pinched a section of Jeno’s hair, rubbing it in between his thumb and pointer finger and hummed in consideration. “I think copper will be good since your hair is orange now.” He scratched Jeno’s scalp lightly before adding on, “You take care of your hair well huh?”

“I just followed what you told me to do.”

“That’s already amazing. Half of my customers don’t take my words seriously. Then, the worst part is that they bring their split ends to me and expect me to magic it into perfection!” 

The way Renjun huffed as he ranted, his nostrils flaring up and his hands moving animatedly was adorable. He looked like a tiny gremlin.

When Renjun mixed the products together, Jeno took out his book – the exact same as Renjun but only with pencil scribbles to indicate its use. He was smart enough to wear lenses this time round.

After the bleach application, Renjun sat beside him and read too. They discussed points that they found interesting which gave Jeno a few ideas for their assignment. There were times that Renjun got heated up, correcting Jeno about the details with his photographic memory. When Jeno praised him, Renjun confessed that he struggled with the literary side of his major. But Renjun was passionate – even though he skipped lectures, he never slacked off on readings.

After his second trip to the salon, he got freshly dyed hair. Renjun’s number scribbled onto the last page of his reading was a bonus.

❀

Jeno’s first impression of Renjun? Brutally smashed. 

That boy was not an introvert and most definitely not shy. Even if Jeno wasn’t funny, he laughed so loudly that you can hear him at the end of the street. For someone who doesn’t go to class much, Renjun sure knew a lot of people. When they studied on campus, there would always be at least one person who waved at Renjun. Granted, they were mostly the same few from choir, but he had more friends than Jeno.

Even if they only shared a module, Renjun was a good study buddy. His fingers were light on the keyboard and Jeno appreciated his quietness when they worked. Whenever Jeno had a meltdown over his readings, Renjun was always open for discussion, listing perspectives that he had never considered. In return, he vetted Renjun’s essays and helped him to deliver his points more effectively.

It was a mutual understanding that was hard to come by with Mark – biochemistry and literature majors must have different brains. He was a pillar in many aspects of Jeno’s life, but academics wasn’t one of them.

Renjun and Jeno’s study hotspots included the library and the Huang’s Residence – an 8-minute walk from the salon. Sometimes Jeno would wait for him outside the store for Renjun to finish his shift. On Renjun’s day off, often days where he had classes, they would study on campus instead. They tried to study in Jeno’s dormitory room once, but it was too cramped to be conducive and the air-conditioning never worked.

Jeno loved flopping onto Renjun’s bed starfish-style after a particularly tiring session. His cream bed sheets were cool to the touch even during the summer. They smelled like Jasmine – a floral scent that Renjun carried everywhere. There was a small dolphin and giant hamster plushie – gifted by his choir partner, Chenle.

He was preoccupied with stretching out the hamster’s round cheeks when Renjun threw his body onto Jeno.

“So tired,” Renjun announced to no one in particular. His weight shifted until his chest was lined up with Jeno’s back. His fingers were already combing through Jeno’s hair. 

It was a habit Jeno discovered a week into their friendship. When they first hung out, Renjun was always staring at his head silently. He was scared that Jeno would be weirded out if he asked to touch his hair. Nowadays, Jeno’s hair was free real estate for Renjun’s long pretty fingers. A plus point was that Renjun gave the most soothing head massages – one that the salon always gave after a hair wash. Jeno practically melted into putty, his limbs were non-existent.

“God, Donghyuck’s face? I should have taken a photo,” Renjun laughed. His fingernails continued to scratch Jeno’s scalp gently. It never hurt because he trimmed his nails religiously.

The best thing about friends with Renjun?

He hated Donghyuck’s guts. Renjun and Donghyuck were arch enemies since they signed up for the same singing class when they were six. He recounted in detail how child Donghyuck had stomped his leg when the vocal coach had praised Renjun. It was even worse when they ended up in the same high school class where Donghyuck always shoved his report card in Renjun’s face. Renjun would have done the same if he cared as much about school. Don’t get him wrong, he was a hard worker, but the salon was more important to him.

Renjun bumped into a friend outside the hallway of the choir room when Jeno picked him up.

Time slowed down when Donghyuck exited the choir room. Against all odds, their eyes found each other. His hair was ash blonde, creating an ethereal contrast with his warm brown skin. It had been 2 months since their break up but somehow Jeno was falling again. He couldn’t afford it, so he placed his arms around Renjun’s waist to ground himself. He tasted the same bitterness in his mouth when he recalled the tan boy’s snide remarks.

Renjun startled in his iron grip. It was probably strong enough to bruise. Renjun flipped Donghyuck off and the sounds rushed back into Jeno’s ear, time returning to a normal pace. 

Donghyuck’s eyes zeroed on Jeno’s hands on Renjun before he returned the finger and dashed out of the hallway, leaving a trail of ash in his steps.

“Yeah, but I don’t care about him anymore.”

Renjun rolled and ended up squished with Jeno on the bed.

“Good. You shouldn’t.” Renjun’s arms wrestled until they were hooked around Jeno’s right arm. His soft cheeks were pressed onto Jeno’s shoulder.

Mrs Huang found them in the same position after they fell asleep and placed a blanket over them. 

Jeno was alerted, through a whirlwind of messages from Renjun, that she recounted the story to the other hairdressers.

Jeno was in for a real ride on the next salon visit.

❀

Life was full of surprises.

Jeno could have planned his day meticulously for it to turn out entirely different. 

His plan was this:

Wake up early for a jog before going for morning classes. After class ended at 11, he would order Renjun’s favourite _japchae_. They would eat in the back room and he would study until Renjun was done with his appointments.

Now, standing on the welcome mat in front of Huang's salon, he felt an irrational fear of opening the sliding doors.

Through the window, Jeno could see Renjun's pink hair. He was pointing to the catalogue before nodding. It was nothing out of the ordinary. Jeno loved watching Renjun working his magic – his brows tight with concentration and his proud smile as he admired his work.

His client had ice blue hair, which he would have disregarded if not for his tattoo sleeves, the blue snake on his right hand burned to the back of his mind. 

It’s Jaemin – the hot tattoo artist that he had almost erased from his memory. 

“Jeno-ah. What are you waiting outside for?”

Jeno flinched, jumping away from the mat. He turned to see the warm smile of Mrs Huang, her wrinkles curved around her smiling eyes. Out of panic, he shoved the bag of noodles into her hands. 

“Actually I think I forgot a group meeting! Help me pass it to Renjun?” He was already jogging back to the train station.

That night, when his phone vibrated in his pocket, he switched it off.

❀

Jeno knew that there were downsides to being so well acquainted with each other’s schedule.

Renjun was waiting for Jeno outside his lecture hall the next afternoon. He was dressed in a baby blue sweater and denim shorts. His pink hair was not styled, and his natural curls were left to form a nest-like structure. 

“Why didn’t you pick up my calls last night?” Renjun asked softly as he fiddled with the hem of Jeno’s grey hoodie.

It wasn’t uncommon for Jeno to take days to reply – hanging out physically was easier. Less nerve-wracking. He didn’t have to second guess what the other party was feeling.

Jeno thumbed off the dry crust in the corner of Renjun’s eyes.

“You didn’t sleep well last night,” Jeno asked, but it was more of a statement. A distraction. 

Renjun glared at him but it didn’t have it’s usual edge. “Whose fault do you think it is?”

“Sorry.” Jeno stumbled backwards. “I felt kinda off yesterday.”

“Shit, I’m not angry at you,” Renjun wrapped his sweater-clad hand over Jeno’s fingers to pull him back. “I’m sorry too. I was just panicking because Nana came to my shop yesterday. You were the only one that knew about him so I was hoping to talk to you. Long story short, I’m supposed to go to his loft for an appointment and I’m kinda freaking out.”

It was quite difficult to really process the reality of Renjun’s words. His brain short circuited to a conclusion.

Jaemin must _really_ like Renjun to offer to tattoo him. Afterall, he was propositioned the same way. 

A slimy feeling (read: insecurity) clambered up the walls around his heart. 

Renjun was about everything you could want in a boyfriend. He was pretty but never a mere flower vase. He was intelligent and witty, his words wise beyond his years. He was mature but also fun. The point was that Jeno learnt the entire dictionary but none of them can fully describe how special Renjun was. How could he match up to him?

Jeno was a weak man when it came to pretty boys. All it took was Renjun uttering out, “please?” – his voice was tinier than usual – for Jeno to follow him. 

❀

Jaemin's face was bright when he welcomed them into his loft, his pearly white teeth shining. The ice blue in his hair was replaced with electric blue with purple highlights. His eyes lit up in recognition when his gaze landed on Jeno. 

His loft did not change much, except for the study desk that was now piled with books and littered with white papers scribbled with math equations.

“I saw the designs you sent me yesterday. They are very pretty, Injun. Did you design them yourself?” 

Renjun nodded his head quietly. Jeno stared as a rosy pink bloomed on Renjun’s cheeks.

If there was anything distinct about the two’s work style, they were on opposite spectrums when it came to small talk. Renjun communication mostly involved clarifying the client’s requests but he preferred to focus his attention on perfecting his work. On the other hand, Jaemin thrived on his client’s satisfaction and comfort – maybe partially to keep himself out of trouble. Jeno was at the receiving end of his compliments which helped to distract him from the pain. 

“Can you take off your top?”

Renjun obliged, working off his sweater silently.

Jeno was left dumbfounded. Why didn’t Renjun warn him? They spent a 40 minute commute together in silence, listening to Taylor Swift with their hands interlaced together. He plainly assumed that it was a leg tattoo because of the shorts. Now he had to stare at Renjun’s naked chest for hours as Jaemin worked.

Jaemin reshuffled the seats around so that Jeno could sit near the head of the bed where Renjun’s hands were splayed out. His fingers immediately searched for Jeno. Jeno squeezed his hand lightly to reassure him.

The way Jaemin worked was fascinating. He had a rhythm, albeit at a more relaxed pace. 

When Jamin snapped the glove against his wrist, it was suddenly hard to breath. Jeno sucked in air lightly through his mouth in hopes that his blood would not rush south.

The purple stencil Jaemin pressed onto Renjun’s left rib was of three butterflies and Jeno prayed that it wasn’t a fully coloured tattoo.

For the better part of the first hour, Jeno had managed to finish one reading to the sound of the tattoo machine buzzing and Jaemin whispering sweet words to Renjun in the background. It was a challenge to flip the pages with only one hand but Jeno made it work. 

Renjun was quieter than expected, only whimpering every now and then. The real indication of his pain was his death grip on Jeno’s right hand. Thankfully, Jeno was slightly desensitised towards pain.

A painful moan ripped Jeno’s attention away from his book. 

Renjun’s face was flushed and his eyes were screwed shut. Jeno’s gaze flickered to his rib to find the tattoo outlined in red. The third butterfly was almost completed. 

Jaemin’s hand holding the tattoo gun wasn’t moving, his wrist resting on Renjun’s waist instead. His eyes were dilated and focused on Renjun’s pink, perky nipples. There was hunger in his stare and when he caught Jeno staring, the intensity did not dim at all. He licked his lips and Jeno’s heart rates were through the roof. Jaemin’s chapped lips were now shiny with spit and they looked delectable.

Jaemin said something to Renjun but Jeno did not catch it. Despite wearing glasses, he was squinting at Renjun’s legs. More specifically, at the tent that bulged against his jean shorts, the zipper threatening to burst open.

He found a strange feeling of possessiveness bubbling up his chest. He wanted to touch _so badly_. He shouldn’t have felt such emotions for his friend. There was confusion alongside and immense want – no, _need_ for Renjun. 

Jeno waited patiently for Jaemin to finish his work. Jaemin rubbed ointment on Renjun’s red skin in a speed that was almost teasing if not for how gentle his touch was. He wrapped the tattooed portion up with a bandage – the exact same way he did for Jeno.

“I’ll leave you guys to it,” Jaemin winked at Jeno. He was about to leave, but he was stopped by Renjun.

Now, Jeno was even more confused. He refused to acknowledge the pinch in his heart, for it will unfurl into a storm of emotions. 

If Renjun and Jaemin wanted each other, he would leave. He would have to make do in Jaemin’s bathroom but it was better than suffering here.

Renjun’s hand tightened around Jeno’s hand, effectively cutting off any thoughts about leaving. His lips were barely moving and the soft mumble was incoherent.

Jeno screeched, “What?” Right when Jaemin said, “What do you want, baby?”

Even when Renjun’s eyes were rimmed with red, his face shining with tears and snort, he was still beautiful.

“Want the both of you,” Renjun confessed.

Jaemin let out a deep chuckle, his fingers running through his blue locks and his forehead glistened with sweat. It was unfair how it had only made him hotter.

“Alright,” Jaemin leaned towards Jeno and he scratched his chin. His voice was hoarse and full of lust. 

“You heard the man, you still remember the way to my bed right?”

Jaemin pulled away and the hardness in his pants stood out under the harsh lighting. Jeno found relief in that discovery. 

“Condoms and lube are in my bedside drawer by the way.”

Jeno did not know how he managed to climb the stairs to Jaemin’s bed without stumbling. His legs were wobbly and his dick fully hard at this point. Renjun practically hauled him along. It was hard to miss his bedroom when there wasn't a room at all. Just his bed that was visible from the first floor.

As soon as they reached Jaemin’s bed, Renjun tugged off his shorts by the hem. Jeno’s mouth watered at the sight – his red dick poking out of the waistband of his boxers. 

Renjun took the advantage of Jeno’s gaping and licked into his lips. Their kiss was filthy, full of tongue and spit. Renjun pinched his nipples over his shirt and Jeno’s hips jerked up and grinded against Renjun’s thigh. Renjun mewled loudly when Jeno palmed his wound by accident. 

The warmth of his body left when he reached towards the cabinet. He almost tipped over but Jeno caught him by the waist. It fitted perfectly in his hands like two puzzle pieces. Endorphins flooded his head at this information. 

The realization hit him like a truck – a dam broke and water flooded his being. He was drowning but it made his desire clearer.

He liked Renjun all along.

Jeno was too ignorant to realise. He didn’t used to be so touchy – not Mark, not even his brother. Playing with Renjun’s hands when they studied and Renjun’s arm around his when they walked became something natural. 

Renjun kissed his palm then turned it over to peck the back of his hands. His licked the veins of his hands, his soft tongue pressed flat against his pulse point. Before Jeno knew it, he was already sucking Jeno’s fingers like a ravished man. It muffled his words slightly but Jeno doesn't think he would ever forget his words.

“Gosh, your hands are so pretty. I wanted to ride your fingers for so long. Can I?” 

Oh _god_ , his words. 

Jeno could only like a dumb puppy. Renjun pushed him down so that his back was flush against the comforter. The sound of the lube cap snapping was loud and Jeno felt naked even when fully clothed. The sticky fluid was cold and wet. He would have warmed them up but Renjun had a mind of his own. He was already sinking onto Jeno’s middle finger, a warm moisture engulfing his hands. 

It was bizarre how sensitive he felt even though he wasn’t the one receiving. Not that he minded when Renjun’s skinny thighs were caging his, and his hips snapping fervently. When Jeno flicked his wrist to help, he had only enraged the older who pressed his hand down so that it lined up with Jeno’s dick.

The whine that Jeno let out was so loud and _needy_. He would have been embarrassed if he wasn’t so drunk on Renjun.

It had been so long since he had been fucked – Jaemin had been the last. He felt like he was pulled apart and hung on a tightrope. He was so sensitive with Renjun riding his fingers and humping him simultaneously.

Jeno was spared from the humiliation when Jaemin joined them in bed. He already ditched his clothes beforehand. His kiss was gentle and he ran his hands down Jeno’s chest in comforting motions. He no longer felt the tight heat on his fingers because Renjun had decided to make out with them. 

They had to take turns but it wasn’t an issue when there was so much skin to kiss. He nibbled on Jaemin’s collarbone, which was inked in cursive. 

“Jaemin. Wait,” Renjun panted. His lips were red and abused from the tattoo session and lip locking. “Can I fuck Jeno first?” He gave Jaemin his version of the puppy eye – although it looked more like a kitten with his narrowed eyes. “Please?”

The way he asked – as if Jeno was meant to be used at his disposal – scared him as much as it turned him on, and he whined. The both of them snapped their heads like owls, their wide eyes fixated on him.

“Sure, it might be better because he cried the last time I finge-” Jeno slapped his palms over Jaemin’s lips, his cheeks burning.

Renjun wrapped his arms around Jeno’s middle. “I’ll be gentle, don’t worry.” He was already unzipping Jeno’s khaki shorts. He palmed Jeno over his boxers, the heel of his palm dragging against the length of Jeno’s dick.

Jeno didn’t want him to be gentle. He wanted Renjun shoved balls deep into him so he pulled down his boxers. He grabbed the lube before either of them could and put up a show. In one go, he eased two fingers in and started scissoring himself – opening his hole for his audiences to admire.

“Baby is doing so well.” Jaemin cooed, brushing Jeno’s waist gently.

Renjun did not touch him. Instead, he crossed his arms and observed instead, his gaze following Jeno’s fingers like a feline.

When Jeno pushed the third finger in, he waited until he could relax around them before signalling to Renjun that he was ready

Jaemin puts on the condom for Renjun in a swift motion and gives his dick a few pumps. Jaemin shifted so that he was sitting against the headboard and offered his lap as a cushion.

All of his previous urgency was stripped away when Renjun pressed into Jeno slowly until the base of his dick lined up with his rim. It felt like coming home after a long day and soaking his body with warm water. It felt right.

“Jen, you okay?” 

“Mhmm.” 

When Renjun’s hips danced in a rhythmic motion, a delayed drag that amplified the pleasure. As he moved, the lube squelched loudly around Jeno’s hole. Jeno’s hips chased Renjun in a similar fashion, jutting out when he pushed in and sinking as he pulled out.

Jaemin’s gentle patting kept him grounded when his senses were overloaded. He was like live-wire – fizzing around the edges and buzzing with electricity. He needed a stronger anchor.

“Can I suck you off?”

It was hard to see his expression, but Jaemin helped him up so that his upper body was supported with a side plank. 

Jeno started with the tip first, holding it in his mouth instead of moving. His lips tightened to create an illusion of a suction as they glide along his dick. Jaemin grabbed a fistful of his copper locks with a delighted hum, but he didn't push him down. 

It was a strenuous position to hold and Jeno’s bobbing only pushed Jaemin’s dick against his cheek rather than his throat. Jaemin stroked right where he was protruding out.

“You’re so pretty,” Jaemin praised.

Renjun rammed into Jeno’s prostate consecutively with frightening accuracy. Jeno’s vision spotted with blueish white and his dick throbbed as a rough hand stroked him. Renjun was still stuffed deep into him so he clenched around him in uncontrollable waves of contractions until he felt Renjun shoot his load into the condom.

Fatigue clawed and wrapped tightly around Jeno until there was only darkness.

When his consciousness returned, Jaemin was already pulling out of Renjun. He slipped the condom out and tied it, stuffing it into a tissue.

Jeno was shuffled until he could lie on the better side of Renjun’s waist. Renjun’s hands carded through his hair, massaging his scalp gently.

“Sorry for never finishing you off,” Jeno croaked out as he nuzzled into Jaemin’s chest.

Jaemin only patted his head gently, just like the last time he'd been in this bed “It’s okay. It was nice seeing you with your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend... yet,” Renjun corrected.

“Really? Then can I ask the both of you out? I’ll treat you to something nice.”

“With the money I just wired you,” Renjun deadpanned. 

“Hey! I need to make a living so that I can ask pretty boys out.”

“I don’t like sharing so you would have to give up on other pretty boys,“ Jeno pouted. “Other than Renjun.”

Jaemin's body shook with laughter. “Pretty girls too. But I suppose it's a reasonable exchange.”

Post-orgasm cuddles were the best. The three of them were practically glued together. 

Jeno trapped Renjun's waist in his hold when the other wanted to shower. Jaemin offered reinforcement by wrapping his arms around the both of them. The three of them were partially stacked together like Lego. To entice Renjun to stay, Jeno pressed his lips onto his shoulder blades and moved them across his upper back. He sucked and nibbled until purple bruises marked Renjun's hairless, porcelain skin. Renjun's skin was salty but he still smelled floral. Jeno bit particularly hard – a broken circle of teeth marks imprinted on his shoulder blades.

"What the fuck," Renjun scolded but it lacked bite.

"You like pain though, Injun," Jaemin teased.

Renjun wrestled himself out of both of their arms and left the bed, leaving the sound of him descending down the stairs. Jeno pushed himself up with much difficulty since Jaemin refused to budge. 

The bathroom door was locked so Jeno knocked on it three times before waiting patiently. The hinge of the door creaked and he saw Renjun's pink hair peeking out. Half of his face was covered by the door but the red tinting his face was obvious. Jeno hooked his fingers around the door edge just in case.

"Junnie, you don't have to be shy about what you like,” Jeno said.

Renjun turned away and sat on the toilet lid. His back was hunched and his hands shielded his expression from Jeno. "I know! I know but I can't help it even when I know you would never make fun of me. It's just.. I feel like I'm really naked and you can see all of me," Renjun rambled. 

_You're literally naked_ , Jeno thought. But he knew Renjun's turmoil. Communication in a relationship wasn't easy but one with three people would be even harder. 

Jeno stumbled forward and stood by Renjun's side but he didn't touch him.

"Then, wouldn't you agree that it's even more important to tell us these things," Jaemin shouted from his living room, his voice travelling through the crack of the door.

White towels were thrown over Jaemin's shoulder when he entered. He hooked them on the wall adjacent to the sink, bypassing them to the shower. Warm water gushed out of the shower head, the accompanying mist sprayed onto Jeno’s shirt.

Jaemin's wet hair stuck onto his forehead until he pushed them back and there were streams of blue running down his body.

"God, Jaemin you just do whatever you want, don't you? I told you to wash your hair three days later," Renjun grumbled.

Jaemin smirked and reached out for the blue shampoo bottle – dandruff-free shampoo. That only enraged Renjun who stomped up to him and reached for the green bottle instead. It's the shampoo that Jeno used. Renjun kicked the back of Jaemin's knees, forcing him to bend down slightly. He squeezed a dollop of shampoo and rubbed his hands together to foam it up before applying it to Jaemin's scalp. He massaged the shampoo with his nimble fingers for a short while before rinsing and applying conditioner.

"You should learn from Jen. His hair is so soft because he listens to me," Renjun nagged as he rinsed his hands before beckoning Jeno over.

Jeno kneeled down to make it easier for Renjun to wash his hair. He ended up facing Renjun's dick which was now soft – the same dick that pounded into his warm heat an hour earlier. _No_ , he mentally slapped those thoughts away by closing his eyes.

 _God_ , Jeno loved Renjun's fingers so much. They were gentle when coating his hair with shampoo but they increased in pressure when it came to his scalp.

Before he knew it, shampoo time was over and he washed his body dejectedly.

❀

The three of them had dinner at a French restaurant that was a 10 minute drive away from Jaemin's place. It had a romantic atmosphere – dim until they lit up the candles on the table.

They had received weird looks from the waiter until Jaemin leaned forward, whispering something in his ear before that left him scuttering away. Turns out, Jaemin was friends with the head chef that founded the restaurant.

Jeno's eyes popped out when they saw the price on the menu but Renjun kicked his foot under the table so that he would stop gaping. Dinner was delicious and Jaemin footed the bill as promised.

After dinner, Jaemin drove Renjun and him back. They stopped by Renjun's place first and Jaemin insisted on walking him to the door. When Renjun was fumbling for his keys, Jaemin caged him against the wall and kissed him slowly – slow enough for Mrs. Huang to open the door.

Her usual cute face contorted into something frightening, a duality that all mothers seemed to have.

" _Huang Ren Jun_!" She took off her house slipper, ready to whack Renjun. When she saw Jeno and her expression soften considerably.

"Wait, what about Jeno? Weren't you two dating?"

To answer her question, Renjun grabbed the neck of Jeno's shirt forcefully. Due to the lack of coordination, Jeno’s lips squished against Renjun's cupid's bow instead. Then, Renjun was already stomping upstairs.

Good thing Jaemin was good at damage control.

"Auntie! Hello! Do you remember me? I went to your shop yesterday," Jaemin said as he clasped her hands together. Before she could even utter a word, he continued, "How are you even more pretty today? Renjun must have inherited his beauty from you." He gave a well-timed wink.

Jeno could see her guard melting under Jaemin's flattery.

"The thing is.. both me and Jeno like your son a lot and he likes us too. I promise I'll be very good to him.” Jaemin smiled, his lips spreading wide and his eyes sparkling with sincerity.

"Right? Jeno?"

Jeno nodded and Mrs Huang only sighed before inviting the both of them in for a cup of tea.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [tine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wegotjamsdude/pseuds/wegotjamsdude) for enabling me and being my grammarly.
> 
> thank you for reading! if you see this please leave a comment or cc? >__<  
> [twt](https://twitter.com/renjunkittycat) | [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/lemonjun)


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